leejo

Gentlemen,

Thank you again for your interest and support by showing for session I and for the subsequent feedback. I had intended to introduce several concepts in session II, but have decided instead to get straight to the stuff that is most challenging, most fun, and at the heart of what we want to accomplish at TG with GRAW.

Accordingly, we will cover the React To Contact drill. I need a volunteer to step up and serve as the team lead (TL) for this session. You will need to prepare before the session by reading up on the drill here.

You will be responsible for everything your team does and does not do. I will give instruction and feedback to you, and you will lead the team. For the purposes of this drill, don't get hung up on the details but focus on the general concepts. Our in-game TL is the same as platoon leader in the linked document.

Anyone interested in serving in this role, please PM me. I will announce my selection at the beginning of the session. If you volunteer and are not selected, please be assured that you will have your chance in future sessions.

If no-one volunteers I will pick the most shy and reluctant person who shows up.

We'll start the session with a brief recap of the concepts covered in session I. The AAR for that session is posted in these forums. If you missed session I please review the AAR to help yourself get up to speed.

This drill gets to the heart of effective teamwork and effective leadership in GR. We will revisit certain individual skills in future sessions, but for now I think this provides the best bang for the buck.

Thanks for your continued interest and enthusiasm. This will be challenging and fun.

We will start promptly at 2130 EDT Monday night, 10/23/06. The session will last one hour.

Regards,

leejo

leejo

To help folks prepare mentally for this next session, I want to follow up with a high-level overview of this drill. The situation is the squad has come under fire. At this point, each player is in one of four
roles:

1. TL
2. A member of the element under fire
3. A member of an element that is not currently under fire
4. Dead

Upon taking fire, everyone immediately takes cover.

If you are in the element that is taking fire, you need to do four things, in this order of importance:

1) Stay alive
2) Shoot back!
3) Make contact with the man to your left and right. Assess everyone situation - is someone exposed? Would they benefit from that smoke you're carrying? Are they dead? How's everyone doing and is there any action that you need to take immediately to keep someone alive?
4) communicate your situation to the TL - how many enemy are there? What weapons are they using against you? How are y'all doin?

Wash rinse repeat.

If you are in an element that is not taking fire, you need to take the following steps, in this order:

1) Place yourself such that you can defend the squad's flanks and rear.
2) make contact with them man to your left and right
3) sit tight and wait to move out. You will either be part of the counter punch or a reinforcement.

If you are the TL, you will be very busy. You job is to

1) make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to do.
2) Evaluate the situation. If possible and safe (enough) make contact with the element that is taking fire. YOU must determine if you are able to gain suppressing fire with the element in contact, if you must suppliment their firepower (with a reinforcement, not yourself) in order to gain that suppressing fire, or pull your men out.
3) Identify covered and concealed routes to the enemy position. Understand that their TL will likely be doing the same thing - it's often simply a matter of who executes better and faster.
4) make a plan and issue instructions. Often the best initial instruction is "follow me and do as I do."

If you are dead, get a beer.

Simple really. There is an elegant division of labor that's happening here and it requires everyone to understand and execute their responsibilities - and ONLY their responsibilities - quickly and well.

A word about suppressing fire. The TL must make a rapid assessment regarding his or her team's ability to gain suppressing fire. How do you do this?

I think of the way a team uses firepower to gain suppression like using a hose to clean a drive or a deck. When you are part of a fire team tasked with gaining suppression, you don't attempt to play a game of whack-a-mole with the other side, you hose the area down and try to push them around. If you must, frag the snot out of them. You want to intimidate them! If you happen to kill some, great!

As the TL, it is your responsibility to ensure that everyone in the element taking fire is doing their job correctly and, if necessary, give them the tools they need to get the job done. Is that SAW in the rear? Would bringing it to the front help tilt the balance and knock the other side on its heels? Do you need a GL shot to eliminate a well-fortified position? Would it leave your flank dangerously exposed? Tough questions, and you don't have much time.

Who is pushing whom around? If the volume and accuracy of the fire the enemy is sending your way doesn't freak everyone out, you're probably ok.

From "The Battle for Booby's Bluffs" (another long, interesting tactical primer):

It's all simple, and complex, and difficult, and fun. That's why we practice.

I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am. This is the real fun stuff and when you get it right with your team you can really kick some ass.

Strag

The first Camp was awesome, but this second one sounds even better. I'm looking forward to it!

Mirfee

I concur. I can't wait. Great stuff Leejo.

__________________

Clodhopper

I'll be there, I still needs me some learnin' eh

The first bootcamp helped me a little tonight, I was spotting cover a bit quicker than usual thanks to our first exersize (Although, in one instance, I was shot in the back while trying to evaluate my cover... which proves it was shoddy at best). Also, I was able to flush out an enemy and totally confuse him by pummeling his location with fire and grenades. He ran out, he got shot, I lived. I tell you, I'm using those things up, like you said, and it makes 'em run right into my line-of-sight.

Itching to learn more.. well actually, I'm just itching... erm... also would like to practice up on the basics more aswell. Count me in, for sure!

__________________
|TG|Clodhopper - Intelligence is the key, but I'm locked out!

Strag

Our GRAW server is up and ready for tonight's Boot Camp.

Clodhopper

Learned a lot tonight, thanks again for your leadership Leejo.

Must say I'm happy with my results since the two night we've had. Tonight, for once, I took up leadership of my remaining team mates, something I've never dared to do and I'm pretty happy with the results, I may have to try it again soon. Was a bit slow with it, both times I took it up, reasons being first, I was hoping someone else would, I don't have much faith in my leadership skills. Second time I was confused and I think my remaining team mate was too... too much time passed so I sucked it up and took it up again.

Now, after that ego stroke, let me add one something; Tybalt, I nominate you to be our target again next round, your one clever bad guy (dare say your better than Leejo! No.. I dare not... He'll torture me somehow) If anything will teach us to be more agressive, it's a quick, lethal and agressive badguy!

The rest I'll leave for the AAR. Thanks to everyone who showed up. It wouldn't have been such a great night without any of ya!

__________________
|TG|Clodhopper - Intelligence is the key, but I'm locked out!

leejo

Lol Tybalt was a wrecking crew.

In fairness to you and the rest of the team, you were trying to learn a new skill and that tends to slow you down for a bit while you think things through. Also, we tended to worry more on the drill than the actual tactical situation. I'll get more into that with the AAR, but I won't be able to post much until this evening. If anyone wants to start one up, go for it!

I had a good time. Thanks to everyone who came out.